


Cooler

by neotangy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, M/M, Manager Taeyong, NCT Ensemble - Freeform, but it’s also gonna be cute, lots of flirting, more characters likely to be added later, started as a one shot (nervous laughter), this will get steamy, waiter ten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-25 14:37:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19747741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neotangy/pseuds/neotangy
Summary: Ten starts a new job as a waiter in a classy restaurant and quickly rises to be the best of the best. Taeyong, the ridiculously attractive manager, notices. He notices a lot of things.





	1. Chapter 1

Loud, repetitive beeps came screeching from the alarm clock situated on Ten’s nightstand. The sound was ruthless and pounding in his head until he rolled over, a litany of curses spewed from his lips, and all but smashed the contraption. 

Ten was not a morning person. 

Alas, places of employment do not typically care about whatever preferences you may have, and Ten  _ just  _ got this job. Nothing special, just waiting tables at a nearby restaurant, but he was still in the process of making that good impression on his coworkers and bosses.

And the manager. The really hot manager.

“Can’t be late!” Ten spoke only to himself, seemingly in much higher spirits after remembering why he wanted to get up so early in the first place. Coffee grounds were poured into the machine on the kitchen counter and the button to start it was pressed, all without a thought; at this point, morning coffee is a ritual of muscle memory, he doesn’t really need to be awake to do it. Seeing no sense in wasting time, Ten made his way to the bathroom, disrobed, and stepped into his shower. Steam billowed out from the top of the curtain as Ten let himself have just one leisurely moment this morning, relishing the hot water pouring over his skin like a heavy rain.

Ten looked at himself in the full body mirror he kept on his bedroom door, doing half turns to examine every detail of his look before raising his eyebrows in approval. His hair was black, currently, and styled neatly to where his fringe parted a bit at his hairline, offering a window to his forehead before falling above his eyebrows. He applied his makeup naturally, though his dark circles needed a bit of extra love. His uniform consisted of a white, long sleeved, button up shirt, black dress pants, and a long, dark green apron with the restaurant’s logo printed on the bottom corner. He grabbed his phone, keys and wallet, and with one final adjustment to his hair in the mirror, he was out the door. 

—

“Hey, Ten! Welcome back! We didn’t scare you away, then?”

Ten greeted his new coworker Johnny with a warm smile, genuinely happy to see him. He had only been here for a week, but Johnny was quickly becoming one of his favorite people, both in and out of the restaurant. 

“Hah! If only it were so easy to get rid of me.” Ten jokingly responded. He took his place behind Johnny, who was rolling silverware, and began helping him out, chatting all the while. If all the side work could get done before they opened, maybe they—

“Good morning, everyone.”

There it was. The deep voice that, in a mere week, had Ten’s throat going dry and ears going red. He turned on his heels to face his manager.

Manager Lee’s cool platinum hair was styled in waves, making him look decidedly princely, Ten felt. He wore a white button up shirt, similar to the ones the servers wore, but it seemed a bit more stylish on him. Two buttons were undone to reveal a small golden necklace settled in the dip of his clavicle. Maybe it was the blazer he wore on top, dark green like the restaurant’s uniform, but with subtle, lighter pinstripes all over, that really took his outfit to the next level. Professional and desirable, all at once.

Ten really admired fashion. And his manager.

“Dude, quit staring.” Johnny whispered beside him. Ten straightened up and blinked a few times to force himself out of his reverie. 

The manager noticed.

“Listen, we have a few reservations this afternoon, so I want everyone to make sure we are prepared.” He paced back and forth to address his employees, flipping pages in the reservation booklet, and it was all Ten could do not to stare. He focused on the manager’s slender hands instead of his face. Not much better, he thought, but it seems a little less obvious.

“... and if we can make sure it’s clean, I’d appreciate it. Also, please remember to take a look at the 86 list in the kitchen, as we are out of a few items today. Thank you, everyone.”

Employees scattered at being dismissed, each rushing off to complete some task they’ve resolved to do. Ten turned back around to face the silverware again, content to finish what he started, when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“You’re the new employee. Ten, right?”

Ten turned in response and fought every urge in his body not to panic. He was here, the manager, right beside him, looking at him. Talking to him.  _ Focus,  _ Ten thought to himself.  _ Get over yourself. _

“Um, yes! That would be me!” He stood up straight and looked Manager Lee in the eyes, as much as it twisted him inside to do so. Crushes are so insidious that way.

“Would you mind coming with me to my office?”

Ten felt like blacking out.

—

Ten stood in the manager’s office, admittedly a bit plain for someone who looked so luxurious. The manager closed the door behind them and gestured to the two seats at the desk, offering for Ten to sit. 

“My name is Lee Taeyong, I’m the manager here. I don’t think we’ve properly been introduced. It’s very nice to have you here.” Ten bowed, and Taeyong followed suit.

_ Taeyong,  _ Ten mused. Against his better judgment, he burned the name into every corner of his mind. Because he’d probably need it, like in a work setting, right? Strictly professional, nothing more.

“I’m happy to be here. I hope I can quickly prove myself to be worth the hire.” Ten spoke confidently despite the swirling thoughts in his head. Years of keeping his sexuality hidden at least earned him the useful skill of playing make believe, of becoming what the other person wants to see. 

They sat down across from one another, and Taeyong smiled warmly at his new employee.  _ Beautiful,  _ Ten thought. 

“Mr. Lee, is there something you needed from me?”

Taeyong leaned back in his chair, one leg bent, his ankle resting atop the other knee. Ten took a moment to examine his boss’s outfit a bit more, starting with the brown patent leather shoes and, surprisingly, dress socks with small white flowers sewn in a pattern. 

“Nothing in particular, I just try to make a habit of being formally acquainted with our employees. I feel it makes for a better work environment.” Taeyong rested his chin in his hand, the same hand Ten had tried to focus on earlier, a gesture so relaxed in comparison to his professional tone. Maybe Ten was just imagining the feeling of Taeyong’s eyes on him, examining every inch just as he himself had done just moments ago. “You’re free to get back to work.”

Ten stood up almost immediately. “I’ll be excused, then. Thank you, Manager Lee.” He made his way to the office door, almost turning the handle when Taeyong stood up as well, his chair scraping against the wooden floor.

“Please don’t hesitate to let me know of any problems you have. And, please, just call me Taeyong.”

A flush of pink painted Ten’s cheeks as he faced his manager.  _ Too friendly,  _ he thought. 

“Thank you,” Ten responded with a smile, and proceeded with his exit, closing the door behind him. He made his way through the kitchen and back to the server alley, unable to make eye contact with anyone on the way.

  
_ What the fuck,  _ he repeated to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I wanted to upload this after I had a little more written of the next chapter, but work has been killing me, so I figured I’d go ahead now!  
> Unedited, again. Sorry not sorry (that’s a lie, I’m very sorry).  
> Please let me know what you think! I’d really appreciate it! Thanks for reading, as always!

Weeks went by without much fanfare. Ten became more confident in his position, using his charm and wit to entice customers into ordering some of the most expensive dishes. Some of the other servers took to jokingly calling him a Siren, luring people with just a flash of his smile, only to sink their bank account. Ten liked the nickname. 

Other servers, however, were not so pleased. With greater success comes taking busier shifts, thereby making more money. Employees who were previously working Friday and Saturday nights were now working the slower morning shifts to make room for the new star waiter. A few even complained to Taeyong, who was in charge of scheduling, but he offered them no solution other than, “Work harder.”

Taeyong was involved in the front of the house as much as possible, but during slow times he mostly could be found bookkeeping in the office or taking stock of produce. Ten had only run into him a handful of times in the past few weeks, save for the pep talks he gave before every shift to boost morale. Fleeting moments of running into each other in the dry storage room, or collecting clean dishes while Taeyong was discussing something with the kitchen staff, but all of them made Ten feel warm and tense. Sometimes their eyes would meet and they would greet each other with a nod. Ten’s knees would feel weak. Other times, Taeyong would smile at him. Ten’s vision would spin.

Tonight was especially busy, and Ten was constantly running from table to table. The hostess always asked if he could handle more customers, and he always said yes. He approached a booth of five people, three older gentlemen and two older women, all dressed impressively well in business attire. After a few weeks on the job, he knew what to expect by now, and prepared himself for the worst. 

“Good evening, my name is Ten, and I’ll be taking care of you this evening. May I —“

His rehearsed introduction was promptly cut off, “We’ll take a bottle of, this…” one of the gentlemen pointed to an item on the wine list, muttering an excuse to the table about how he can’t read without his glasses. Ten was fairly sure he just wasn’t able to pronounce the French name, but let it slide since he was pointing to a ₩170,000 bottle of wine. He smiled politely.

“I will return shortly. Thank you.”

When Ten returned to the booth a few moments later, he made the best show he possibly could of politely setting five wine glasses in front of the customers, with the women receiving theirs first. He took the bottle from the tray and presented it to the gentleman with bad eyesight that ordered it. When he received a nod of approval, he proceeded to use his wine key to cut the metal capsule at the top and uncork the bottle with a loud pop. As custom, he poured just a sip in the gentleman’s glass. The older man raised an eyebrow at him, took the glass, and made a great show of swirling the wine about and sniffing it before lifting it to his lips. Ten took the smacking after he was finished and the silent nod to mean that he approved, and proceeded to pour full glasses for the entire party.

This table ran him ragged. Every time Ten came with something they asked for, they asked for one more small thing. Usually that sort of behavior wasn’t an issue, but with the five other tables he was trying to take care of, Ten felt the pressure. The table complained about every single thing, things he had no impact on and could not fix, and it was eating him alive. Ten was a fixer—everything had to be absolutely perfect and if not, he felt obligated to make it that way, even if it was beyond the realm of possibility. With this, he could feel himself breaking.

Ten stopped beside Johnny, his favorite coworker and now someone he would consider a friend, refilling drinks by the soda station. He buried his eyes in his hands, trying to rub away some of the mental and physical exhaustion. “What’s the deal with people being so rude tonight?”

Johnny didn’t look away from the task he was completing, but raised his eyebrows in agreement. “I know what you mean, dude. Especially your table fifteen, everyone here hates those people. We all beg someone else to take them when they come in.”

“Everyone knows they’re terrible?” Ten sighed. “A little warning would have been nice, you know.” He was half joking, half serious.

Johnny swirled around with a tray full of drinks and started towards the dining room. “Sorry, was busy. Love you!” His voice trailed off with him. 

Ten laughed, then let out another tired sigh. He threw his hands over his face, as if trying to hide, and muttered, “I really don’t want to go back out there…”

“Why not?”

The hairs on Ten’s neck stood up. He dropped his hands and quickly stood at attention, looking at his manager with wide eyes. 

“Manager Lee! I—I’m so sorry, I’m going right now.”

Taeyong stood before him and looked, as expected, incredibly handsome. His light blue dress shirt was tucked into his dark pants with just enough of an “I don’t care” flair, the sleeves rolled and pushed right below his elbows. The gold watch he wore today was sparkling. There were even thin earrings dangling past his ears. The only word to come to Ten’s mind was,  _ expensive. _

“I thought I told you to call me Taeyong.” The manager let out a soft sigh and smiled at his employee. He tucked the small notebook he was carrying under his arm. “Are you having a difficult time?” Maybe Ten was only imagining, again, the steps his manager took to come closer. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Ten had spent the past few weeks trying to stifle his crush and failing miserably. This certainly wasn’t making things better. He tried his best to put on a smile to face Taeyong. “I’m fine, really. Just having a moment. I, uh, I’ll get back to work now.” Ten didn’t wait for permission and turned on his heels to venture back into the fray, partially because he really did need to get back to work, partially because he couldn’t stand the heat of Manager Lee’s — Taeyong’s — eyes burning into his skin any longer. Something sparked as Taeyong watched him turn the corner and disappear.

Back to reality, back to  _ that  _ table. Ten had his best customer service smile plastered onto his face as he went to check on the table that had brought him close to a breakdown just moments ago. It seemed as though they were about half way through their entrees. “Is everything to your liking?” He asked, his voice sweet like honey.

“I asked for this steak to be well done, but it’s only medium well.” One of the gentlemen at the table remarked, clearly unsatisfied.

“These vegetables are different than usual. Do you have a new chef?” The woman seated to the right of him asked, a bit less hostile, but still not allowing Ten the chance to speak.

The man that had been giving him the most problems throughout the night finally spoke up, “I’ve never seen this one before. He’s probably new and took our order incorrectly. Have you been trained properly?”

Ten, despite the unbreakable facade he’d spent his entire life crafting, felt tears well in his eyes and embarrassment color his cheeks.  _ Damn it, do NOT cry right now,  _ he begged himself while he struggled to force a response.

“I—“

“Is everything alright here?”

Ten was shocked to hear Taeyong’s voice beside him, standing way too close for Ten’s well-being. He hadn’t been in this situation yet, for a manager to have to speak to his customers, so all he could manage was to stand there bewilderedly looking back and forth between his table and Taeyong.

“Taeyong! How are you, my boy?” The most ornery man absolutely beamed, something Ten was convinced the gentleman was incapable of, as he shook Taeyong’s hand. Ten was stunned.

The manager smiled back, a bit more professional and constrained than the customer. “I’m well, thank you. It’s so great to see you here again.” Taeyong stood up straight, hands folded behind his back. “Is there an issue with anything here?”

One of the women leaned over who Ten assumed to be her husband and motioned for Taeyong to come closer. Ten could smell the alcohol on her breath from where he was standing. 

“Taeyong, where did you find this kid?” The woman giggled. “He has no idea what he’s doing. We order the same thing every time and because of this new waiter, everything is absolutely horrendous.”

Ten felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. He thought he was doing so well, he was going above and beyond for these people, and he couldn’t seem to make them happy for anything. 

“Are you under the impression that the wait staff also cooks your food?”

The sound of utensils quickly being rested on plates clattered momentarily as Taeyong simply stared at them. He pulled a slightly crumpled ticket from his back pocket. “Here is the order your server sent to our kitchen. Please take a look, and if anything is incorrect, I will deal with it accordingly.” Taeyong handed the ticket over to the man he spoke to first, who now had no trouble meticulously reading the print as he did with the wine list. “However, if everything here is in order, allow me to have the kitchen remake your dishes, as it must be their fault and not your server’s.” Ten felt there was just a hint of venom in his voice.

The bright smile that was previously being worn by the gentleman was now replaced with a worried frown. “Really, everything is fine. I just wanted to haze the new guy.” He said, trying to shift the situation. 

Taeyong smiled warmly. “I’m so glad to hear that.” Without any warning, Ten felt a hand on the small of his back, right above the knot keeping his apron on his hips. His cheeks colored again, his previous feeling of shame being replaced with something… different. 

“Ten is one of our best servers, and he’s gotten to that point in a very short amount of time. I hope you’ll appreciate his thoughtful service.”

Taeyong patted the spot on Ten’s back and kept his hand there. Ten’s head was spinning, but he managed to kindly smile at his customers.  _ This is a dream,  _ he thought.

—

Tables came and went.  _ The  _ table kept telling Ten what a wonderful job he was doing after Taeyong left them, and ended up leaving an extraordinarily generous tip. Ten’s mood skyrocketed, not only thanks to the money he made, but also from  _ that  _ moment. The feeling of Taeyong touching him burned him like hot coals, but the heat was so intoxicating, and he couldn’t deny wanting to feel it more. He wanted to get closer to Taeyong, even if that just meant friendship.  _ I mean, sometimes being friends leads to something more…  _ Ten mused to himself as he helped clean up the restaurant to close for the evening. 

He and his coworkers finished everything up, clocked out, and said their good nights. Ten made sure he was the last one to leave, somehow finding the confidence to approach Taeyong, who always stayed behind to double check things and count money. The manager was adjusting the thermostat, all the lights already turned off when Ten came to his side and bowed politely.

“Thank you for your hard work. And, thank you for… helping me. With that table.” Ten faltered a little, his confidence suddenly wavering.

Taeyong smirked, the expression so different from all the warm, friendly smiles he had given Ten before. This was still friendly, just less professional, and more… playful? Maybe the dark was playing tricks on him. Either way, Ten felt weak all of a sudden.

“I haven’t heard you talk much, but your accent is cute.” Taeyong folded his arms in front of him and rested his hip on the table beside them, eyes glinting with curiosity. “Where are you from?”

Ten somehow managed to keep his composure and smiled as professionally as he could. “I’m from Thailand, sir.”

Taeyong threw his head back, more dramatic than Ten would ever expect, and groaned. “You really don’t have to call me ‘sir’ or ‘manager.’ I’ve told you a million times, just call me Taeyong. I honestly hate the professional stuff.” He laughed; the sound felt like springtime on Ten’s ears. “And don’t worry about those customers, they’re asses to everyone.” His dark eyes softened, but he kept his gaze locked on Ten. “You’ll have to tell me about Thailand some time.” 

Ten perked up at that. He’d never turn down an opportunity to tell stories of his homeland, and this seemed like the type of thing to outside of work. “Sorry about that, I’ll try to get used to it.” He smiled, trying to match the playful energy that Taeyong was giving off, if not top it. “I would love to tell you all about Thailand. Maybe we could get coffee sometime, and I could tell you some stories?”

Taeyong narrowed his eyes, as if he was contemplating. Ten was just so thankful it was dark so his manager couldn’t see the red creeping onto his cheeks.  _ Did I seriously just ask out my boss?  _ He screamed internally, and fidgeted with his fingers when a few beats passed without a response.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

Taeyong’s voice was not bright and springy, but rather dark and hushed, almost a whisper, with a certain gravel to it. Ten’s eyes widened, and he looked up to search Taeyong’s expression. The darkness masked a lot, but Ten saw suggestions of desire in his half lidded eyes, looking down at him with that same smirk from before. 

Ten sucked in a bit of air, trying to steady himself. “Great. I, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He flashed a quick smile and made his way out of the dining area, heading down the hall to the exit. He heard quick footsteps behind him, and Taeyong peeked his head from behind the corner.

“Hey, Ten!”

Ten’s hand was almost around the handle, and he debated if he should respond to the call, but he turned around regardless and looked at Taeyong, waiting innocently in the dark for his question, or rejection, or anything.

“What’s my name, again?” Taeyong smiled from down the hall, so bright Ten could see it from yards away.

Ten’s skin prickled and he felt his entire body burning. He knew what his manager meant, but it was impossible for him not to take it another way. He swallowed, trying to soothe his suddenly dry throat.

“Taeyong.”

The manager made a click with his tongue and winked at Ten. “That’s what I like to hear. See you tomorrow!” With a wave, Taeyong disappeared, undoubtedly having another task to attend to.

Ten pushed the door open and headed into the parking lot, practically sprinting to his car. When he finally sat down and stuck the key in the ignition, a realization suddenly hit him.

_ Did… Did he WINK at me?! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY 😐  
> I hope you liked it! Or at least didn’t hate it? Even if you did, leave me a comment to tell me! Thanks for reading, I’ll have the next chapter up (jungwoo voice) ASAP!  
> P.S. Any members you’d like to see introduced? Please let me know! I’m at a loss 😅


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter is shorter than the others, I think, and admittedly a bit rushed, but hopefully you enjoy!

Ten circled around the restaurant what felt like a million times trying to catch his manager. Usually he was cut during the slow time between lunch and dinner, but today he opted not to take a break. Much more important things needed to be dealt with, namely his coffee date that had been left undiscussed still, even after a week.

Finally, he came across his manager, on his hands and knees with his sleeves rolled up, scrubbing something where the wall met the floor. He paused for a moment, honestly surprised at Taeyong’s commitment to the restaurant, his willingness to do what his own employees do instead of sitting around and ordering others to do it. Most higher ups would leave tasks like that to those they felt were beneath them. He couldn’t help admiring Taeyong’s sweet selflessness. Ten admired some other things as well, like Taeyong’s… posture. He eventually gathered some courage to speak.

“Mis— um, Taeyong?” 

Taeyong startled, quickly turning and standing at the same time, and nearly knocked over a nearby bus tub in the process. When their gazes met, Ten noticed Taeyong’s reddened cheeks and wide eyes. _Why is he hot AND cute? Not fair._ Ten thought to himself, but simply smiled at Taeyong, seizing the opportunity to regain some control of his own thumping heart. 

Taeyong spoke first, rolling the sleeves of his breezy brown dress shirt back down. “Ten, what can I do for you?”

 _Would you like a list?_ Ten choked the thought down, so dangerously close to saying it aloud.

“Hey, I was hoping to talk to you about… you know, going for coffee.” Ten’s confidence always ended up waning when he spoke to Taeyong, and he always cursed himself for it. 

A smirk appeared on Taeyong’s face. Apparently his momentary bashfulness was long gone now. “Aha. I’m afraid the only times I’m available are Mondays, when the restaurant is closed.” The handful of employees that stayed between lunch and dinner maneuvered around the two, tending to their jobs. The world kept turning on its axis but Ten and Taeyong were in a world of their own, super charged energy between them as they looked at one another, pulling Taeyong to take a step closer to Ten and causing Ten’s lips to go dry. “Are you available this Monday?” Taeyong’s voice was soft and deep, the same way Ten imagined his kisses.

A brief silence passed, a moment so innocent and mundane to outsiders feeling so intimate to the two of them. Everything just felt… tense. Maybe Taeyong wasn’t feeling any of this, maybe it was all in Ten’s head.

 _What’s happening?_ Ten asked himself, no answers being offered.

If Ten was unraveling on the inside, no one could tell otherwise. He merely blinked rapidly and matched Taeyong’s smile with one of his own, all teeth and sunshine. “Sure thing! I think my number is in the employee files, feel free to text me on Monday for whenever you’re available.” _Good thinking, Ten. Very professional._ He made a mental note to reward his tact with ice cream when he got off work. 

Taeyong lowered his gaze a bit, lingering a little too long somewhere on Ten before focusing on the floor. “Got it, thanks.” His shoulder brushing against Ten’s as he walked away felt like electricity.

—

“Wait, you have a _date_? With the _manager_?! TOMORROW?!”

Ten smacked Johnny’s arm and shushed him, though it was doubtful anyone would hear. The two were sat at a local bar, drinking beer and sharing a huge plate of hot wings. Not really Ten’s choice of a hangout spot, but it was hard to find places still serving food after the restaurant closed. Now, he was thankful for the noise of televisions and tipsy patrons to mask Johnny’s guffaw.

“It’s not a date! We’re just getting coffee on our day off.” Ten was joking around, but his cheeks felt warm regardless. “It’s not even kind of serious.”

The side eye Johnny retorted with was brutal, and Ten could feel he was going to say more before he was interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around his shoulders. 

One man clung to Johnny, obviously intoxicated already, his flushed peachy complexion comically matching his hair. Another man, with dark eyes and a more sober demeanor, patted both of them on their backs with a gummy smile. Jaehyun and Doyoung, a couple of their coworkers, Ten recalled. He stared down at his barely touched beer and tugged at his earrings nervously as the three friends exchanged greetings. He and Johnny were close now, but it’s impossible not to be friends with someone like Johnny. Ten hadn’t managed to make much more than acquaintances with his other coworkers, and some even saw him as a threat. 

“Oh hey, it’s The Siren.” Ten froze.

Jaehyun slid into the space between Ten and Johnny’s barstools. Without seeking permission, he reached for Johnny’s beer and lifted it to his own lips, all while staring at Ten. He finished with a satisfied sigh, set the glass back down and narrowed his eyes at Ten before he spoke.

“You know, I get that you’re decent at this job, and Manager Lee has some weird crush on you or something, but did you ever think about anyone other than yourself?” Ten was shocked that he could form complete sentences with the way his words were slurred together, and he felt his face warm yet again. “Think about showing some respect to people who were here before you, let someone else work the busy times. We deserve the money more than you, you just started.”

Ten simply looked at Jaehyun, taking his words in and letting them simmer in his mind. It was difficult to tell if it was purposeful or the influence of alcohol, but Jaehyun’s tone wasn’t cross or mean. He spoke like he would in any normal conversation, and his points were… valid. Maybe Ten had accidentally been a little greedy and impolite. 

Doyoung scolded Jaehyun while Johnny played on his phone, desperate to remove himself as far as possible from whatever situation was happening. Ten finally spoke after a few moments.

“I think you’re right. I didn’t realize, but I’ll be more considerate from now on.”

Jaehyun pried himself from underneath Doyoung’s grip on his shirt, came a little closer to Ten once more, and smiled. His dimples seemed a beautiful contradiction to the vitriol that came from his mouth earlier.

“Good.”

Ten stood up and placed a few bills onto the bar to cover the tab for both him and Johnny. He bid Johnny goodnight, all smiles, assumedly fine with spending the rest of the evening with the intruders. As he circled around the group to make his departure, he stopped by Jaehyun once more.

“Considering how I can make more money on the slowest days than you can on our busiest days, I don’t see a problem in changing it around. Bye bye!” He said with a huge grin on his face, and turned on his heel to make his way towards the door. Jaehyun watched him, stunned even through the haze of alcohol.

“I like him,” Doyoung laughed. “You deserved that.” Jaehyun gave him a light punch in the arm, and he laughed even harder. 

Ten maneuvered gracefully amongst the drunk crowd in the bar, sliding through groups of people that hardly even noticed him. He couldn’t seem to get rid of the smirk on his face after telling Jaehyun off. Typically he tried to refrain from getting into it with people, especially coworkers, but this wasn’t the first time his mouth had betrayed him, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. _Oh, well_ , he thought.

After nearly stumbling over someone trying to get by them, Ten’s eyes were drawn to a table in the corner of the bar. Taeyong sat there, alone, his strong features illuminated by the yellow light dangling above. He couldn’t even imagine Taeyong—beautiful, exquisite Taeyong—in a place as grimey as this, but there he was, looking like an angel coming to bless humans with his countenance, just for fun. 

Ten stood there, frozen in time, contemplating what his next move should be. Taeyong hadn’t noticed him standing a few yards away, he was sitting with his head resting in his hand, leisurely stirring a short cocktail, mostly ice now. What kind of approach would get Taeyong’s attention the most? Should he saunter over with confidence and offer to buy him a drink? Maybe he should just walk past, act like he doesn’t see him and just wait to be noticed? What about going back to grab Johnny, maybe he could run interference and—

Taeyong snapped out of his daze and looked up, but not at Ten. A beautiful man rounded the table, his blonde hair flopping as he scooted into the booth beside Taeyong. Two drinks in his hands, he placed one down for Taeyong and the other for him, then patted Taeyong on the arm, letting his hand linger for a few moments extra. Ten watched the two of them sip their drinks, talk, laugh, exchange light touches… The man had an enchanting smile and an innocent demeanor Ten could never hope to emulate. This is what Taeyong liked, apparently.

Ten shook his head and all but ran towards the door. The scent of cheap beer and greasy bar snacks and Taeyong being with another man was suffocating, and when he finally broke out of the building, he gasped to fill his lungs with anything but that. When he regained composure, he started giggling, and finally outright laughed.

 _Of course Taeyong has a boyfriend,_ Ten thought as he made his way into the parking lot to search for his car. _Someone as charming and successful as he is, it makes sense._

The ride home was a blur, so was stepping into his apartment, and the shower he apparently spent 40 minutes in. His weary body hit the familiar comfort of his bed, and his mind only allowed one thought before a wave of sleep pulled him under.

_Of course._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Also, don’t worry about Jaehyun and Doyoung being assholes, they will redeem themselves! 
> 
> Also, I keep forgetting to link my info, so follow me on twitter or ask me questions on curiouscat, both @ neotangy !
> 
> Thank you for reading, I always appreciate it! ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This is actually my first time writing any sort of fan fiction, and this is unedited, so any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated! I’m currently a few chapters in, so there’s more to come if you’re interested!  
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! <3


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